Gravity-operated figure toy



April 17, 1928.

w. w. HARRIS GRAVITY OPERATED FIGURE TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July '7, 1923 NVENTOR r 4 7/ W ATTORNEY,

IV/TNE-SSES April 17, 1928. w. w. HARRIS GRAVITY OPERATED FIGURE TOY Filed July v, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTO MAZM Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

WILLIAM w. HARRIS, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

GRAVITY-OPERATED FIGURE TOY.

Application filed July 7, 1928 Serial No. 650,181.

This invention relates to toys.

More particularly, this invention relates to a. toy embodying an acrobatic stunt wherein the one or more figures representing the participants of the acrobatic stunt being set in motion mechanically by means of a marble or the like.

In the particular form of the invention as disclosed in the drawings, the several figures representing the participants are pivotally or otherwise arranged tobe moved in similitude of animated persons, animals and the like, such as trapeze acrobats, a clown mounted on a donkey and'teaming with one or more other clowns whei desired or with other movable figures, the motion of which is set about indirectly by the motion of the figures actuated by the marble. Such ures are mounted on a suitable support such as a background representing the arena of a circus or the like, and a runway is provided for the marbles; one or more figures are respectively provided with pockets for momentarily receiving a marble, or for retaining the marble. Such figure or figures upon receiving a marble are actuated and retain the marble in their actuated'position. Combined with such figures, tliere'is arranged, when desired, other movable figures, the motion of Which is set about indirectly by the motion of the figures actuated by the marble. Preferably the'figur'es are arranged so that successive marbles produce varyingmotions for the, figures.

Further features and objects of the invention will be more fully understood from the following detail description and the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1, is a front elevation of a toy illus-.

trative of a series of circus acrobatic stunts, including a runway for the marbles, and embodying one form of my invention;

Fig. 2, is a detail top plan view of the entry opening for'the marbles, leading to the runway shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8, is a detail sectional elevation on line 33, of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4,,isa detail sectional elevation online 14 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5, is a detail sectional elevation on line 5-5 of Fig. 1; r

F ig. 6, is a detail side elevation on an enlarged scale, of'a. form of pocket for receiving the marble indicated-iii Fig.1, and

Fig. 7, is a sectional elevation on line 7-7 ofFig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, the toy comprises a suitable support such as an open face box arranged to be placed in vertical position when supported on its base 11. The back 12, see Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, the base 11 and the upper strip 13 may be formed of wood and nailed or otherwise secured to one another for rigidity.

The runway or chute 1 1, of tin or the like, may be located at one side within the box 10, and an opening 15 provided in the top strip 13 to afford entry of the marbles 16, 17 etc, for delivery to the chute 14 and subsequent actuation of the figures.

Cooperating with the marbles, I have arranged the figure 18, illustrating in this instance, a female figure 18 ,and a male figure 18*, associated on a trapeze such figure may be formed ofheavy board, cardboard, thin metal or the like, as av single mechanical element, and pivoted at 19, see F igs- 1 and 3, as by means of the nail 20 passing through a suitable opening in the strip 18, thence through the collar 21 otwood and lodged at 22 in the back board 12. The figure 18 is preferably arranged to be overweight-ed at: itslower portion 18", sufiicie'ntly to return the upper portion 18 to the normal position of the figure 18 shown in full outline in Fig.- 1', :but not sufli'ciently overweighted to prevent the figure 18 from being swung,

when a marble 16 has been caught in the liandsof the female figure 18, from its normal position in full outline to its actuated position indicated in dash outline. Thestop 23, see Fig. 1, is provided for limiting the extreme movement of the swing of figure 18.

The figure 25, represents av donkey pivotally mounted at 26, on its fixed leg portion'27,'which'may be carried out similarly as the pivotal arrangement described in reference to the figure 18. On the donkey 25 is pivotally mounted the figure 28, of a clown; the pivot of the clown 28 to the donkey 25 is indicated at 29. The clown holds his cap 30 in awtorm of a receiver for a marble.

' As will-be viewed-in Fig. 4, the detail me- 'chanical elements of the donkey 25 and the clown 28 are given in greater detail. The

figure 27 maybe mcured to the block of wood 31, or the like, and'the pivot pin 32 forthe pivot connection 26 may be lodged in the fare, I also provide block 81. The figure portion 28 is pivoted on the pivot pin 32 at the aforesaid location 26. The cap 30 of the clown 28 is in the form of a cone of cardboard, sheet metal, tin or the like.

The pivot connection 29 may be in the form of a short pin, the opposite ends of which are swaged, to provide free pivotal movement but devoidance of material lateral swaying;

The figure 35 represents an elephant pivotally mounted at 36, on the figure 37, representing a pedestal. The pedestal figure 37 may be made of cardboard or the like, and secured to the block 38, see Fig. 5. The pivotal connection 36 of the figure 35, of cardboard or the like, may be effected by means of the headed pin 36, lodged in the back board 12. The figure 35, is of an indirectly actuated type, as .will be shown more fully hereinafter, and its motion is associated by the provision of a pendulum like construction embodying the weight 39 secured to the arm 40, of tin or the like, and connected at 41 to the elephant figure 35. Ruggedness of such construction is secured by the provision of the collar 42 located about the pivot pin 37 and to which the arm 40 is secured. As one form of receiving a marble, I have indicated a hand portion'45 at one side, see Figs. 3, 6 and 7, and a the opposite side, respectively secured to the arm portions 47, 48, connected to or integral with the figure 18. A retaining piece 49 of tin, stiffened pasteboard, or the like, preferably comprising the longer rearward portion 50 andthe shorter forward portion 51. Such retaining member 49 may be stamped by the use of a die from sheet metal or the like, and connected by rivets 52, 53, to the supporting arm portions 47, 48.

(Jo-acting with the donkey and clown figan additional clown figure 55, pivotally mounted at 56, by means of a pin or the like, lodged in the back board 12, similarly as the pivot construction 19.

The hands 57 ofthe clown are arranged to receive a marble and may be constructed of spaced cardboard strips disposed at an angle to one another, or ofthe form shown by the hands 45, 46, and retaining member 49, as forming the arm receiving member of the figure 18. The clown 55 is overweighted at its lower portion 58 and the stop 59 provided to'hold the clown 55 in its normal position ,however, upon the clown 55 receivmg a marble, the overweight is sufliciently less to allow the marble, while retained in the arm portion 57 of the clown 55, to tilt the clown forwardly toward the donkey 25. Having the above particulars in mind,

" upon dropping a marble into the opening 15,

-' the marble rolls down its chute 14, and is received within the pocket formed by the hands 45, 46 and retaining member 49. The

similar hand portion 46 at weight of the marble causes the figure 18 to swing counter clockwise as viewed in Fig. 1, until the figure 18 is brought to its dash outline position, at which position the marble, now denoted 16,

of the figure 18, into the clown s hat 30, whereupon the clown 28 and his hat 30 are tilted clockwise, thereafter causing the donthe clown 55 now in its dash outline position and retain the donkey 25, mounted by its I clown 28, and the clown 55 in their respective actuated positions shown in dash outline.

The rotation of the figure 18 in the interim causes its lower portion 18 to strike the elephant figure .35, which is thereupon set into pendulating motion. Upon the dropping of'the marble at the position 16, the overweight of the figure portion 18", causes the figure 18 to be returned to its normal or vertical position.

Upon dropping of a second marble into the opening 15, thence down the chute14, such second marble is received within the hand pocket 45, 46, 49, causing figure 18 to be similarly tilted counter clockwise, but in the interim, the'clown 28 has been moved to and retained in its actuated position, i. e., its dash outline position 28, and such second marble is caught in thepocket, formed between the projection 62representing the furbelow or the like of the clowns gar- 1nent-and the back 63 of the clown, Whereupon the figure 28 is, overbalanced by the second marble in counterclockwise rotation, causing the clown 28 and the donkey 25 to be returned to normal position, whereupon the first marble 17 drops from the hand portion 57' of the clown 55, and'the clown 55 is returned'to. its normal position. Thereupon, the first marble and the second marble drop to the upper face of the I operations.

"Whereas, I have described my invention by reference to specific formsthereof it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

1 claim:

1. In a gravity operated figure toy, the combination of an upright support, a base for the supports, a runway for marbles on drops from the hand pocket llJU said background, a figure pivotally mounted on said support and having a receiving and holding device positioned to receive a marble when delivered from said runway, said fig ure being pivoted slightly above its center of gravity, said marble receiving and holding device serving to transfer the marble while said figure is rotated from its upright position to a position horizontally below its pivot, a second figure pivotally mounted on said support and including a device for receiving a marble, said second-named figure being pivoted at a point substantially below its center of gravity, said marble receiving device being positioned to receive a marble after transfer thereto by said marble receiving and holding device of said first-named figure and a third figure pivotally mounted on said support and disposed to normally hold said second figure in a predetermined position, whereby upon placing a marble in said runway, said marble successively rotates said first-named figure, and is transferred by said first-named figure to said second-named figure, and said seoond-named figure is rotated directly by said marble and indirectly rotates said thirdnamed figure. V

2. In a gravity operated figure toy, the combination of an upright support, a base for the support, a runway for marbles on said background, a figure pivotally mounted on said support and having a receiving and holding device positioned to receive a marble when delivered from said runway, said figure being pivoted slightly above its center of gravity, said marble receiving and holding device serving to transfer the marble while said figure is rotated from its upright position to a position horizontally below mounted on said'support and including a device for receiving a marble, said secondnamed figure being pivoted at a point substantially below its center of gravity, said marble receiving device being positioned to receive a marble after transfer thereto by said marble receiving and holding device of said firstnamed figure, a third figure pivota-lly mounted on said support and disposed to normally hold said second figure in a predetermined position, whereby upon placing a marble in said runway, said marble successively rotates said first-named figure, and is transferred by said first-named figure to said second-named figure, and said second-named figure is rotated directly by said marble and indirectly rotates said thirdnamed figure and a fourth figure pivotally mounted on said support, said fourth figure being disposed to be encountered and rotated by one of said figures during a portion of the rotation of such one figure.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification this 80th day of J title 1923.

WVILLIAM WV. HARRIS.

its pivot, a second figure pivotally Y 

